Article support member



. Sept. 14, 1965 R. 1 THURMAN 3,205,867

ARTICLE SUPPORT MEMBER Filed June 25, 1963 United States Patent O 3,205,867 ARTICLE SUPPORT MEMBER Richard L. Thurman, Beloit, Wis., assignor to The Parker Pen Company, Janesville, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin I Filed `lune 26, 1963, Ser. No. 290,754 4 Claims. (Cl. 1Z0- 108) The present invention relates to an article support member, and more particularly to a rigid support member for an elongate longitudinally-compressible article, such as a writing instrument that includes an axially-depressible rearmost push button or cap element.

Writing instruments having a longitudinal compressibility are popular today, particularly in the form of retractable writing instruments wherein a point member is projectible into an exposed operating position and retractable into a concealed protected position, these structures tinding the greatest current favor in the form of retractable ball point pens, such as that described in United States Patent No. 2,428,854 issued October 14, 1947 on an invention of Robert W. Randolph, wherein a rearwardlyprojecting push button is axially depressible to propel a writing point into projected operating position and also to move the writing point to a retracted position. Comparable structures exist in the form of projectable-retractable writing instruments wherein the entire cap, or a portion thereof, comprises an axially and resiliently depressible member. Even further examples of longitudinally-compressible wiring instruments exist in the form of continuous-feed mechanical pencils that include axiallydepressible push buttons or caps, such as, for example, are described in United States Patent No. 2,528,328, issued October 31, 1950 on an invention of Marlin S, Baker.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a novel and attractive support member adapted to readily receive and releasably support a longitudinallycompressible writing instrument or the like, and particularly 'a support mem-ber that utilizes the axial resiliency of the -supported .article .to retain the article in association with the support member.

A further object is to provide a relatively-simple yet sturdy support member for a longitudinally-oompressible elongate article that lends itself to economical production, such as by molding, of an easily-managed material, such as a synthetic plastic material, and wherein the core elements and mold structures used in the molding production may be of simple form and may be easily withdrawn from the molded support member from the opposite faces thereof.

Yet a further object is to provide an attractive rigid support member for a longitudinally-compressible elongate article wherein the support member accommodates the arti-cle in position that contributes t-o the Iholdin-g force between the article and the support member.

A further object is to provide an attractive rigid :support member for a longitudinally-compressible elongate article that permits the easy grasping and removal of the supported article.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, taken in conjunction with the appended drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of a support member according to the present invention, with a longitudinally-compressible writing instrument shown in supported position;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the support member of FIGURE 1, with a longitudinally-compressible writing instrument shown in supported position;

Patented Sept. I4, 1965 ICC FIGURE 3 is a back elevational view of the support member of FIGURE 1, with a longitudinally-compressible writing instrument shown in supported position;

FIGURE 4 is an end elevational view of the forward end of the support member of FIGURE 1 shown without a writing instrument supported therein;

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5--5 of FIGURE 1 shown without a writing instrument supported therein; and

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 6--6 of FIGURE 1, with a longitudinally-compressible writing instrument shown in supported position and in non-supported position proximate to the support member.

FIGURES 1-6 of the drawings relate to a preferred embodiment of the invention that is particularly adapted to support a longitudinally-compressible writing instrument of the retractable type wherein a writing point is movable between projected and retracted positions upon actuation of an axially-depressible push button, such a structure being fully shown and described in United States Patent No. 2,428,854, issued October 14, 1947 on an invention of Robert W. Randolph. Such a writing instrument includes an elongate barrel B that is tapered at its forward end and that has a pocket clip C attached thereto, an axially-depressible push button P projecting axially from the rear of the barrel, and a Writing unit that is longitudinally reciprocable within the barrel against the resilient force of a rearwardly-acting spring member (not shown) that is carried within the barrel, the writing unit comprising an ink reservoir (not shown) and a writing tip T. The writing tip T of such a writing instrument is alternately projected (T) and retracted (T") upon successive depressions of the push button P.

A retractable writing instrument is shown in FIGURES l, 2, 3 and 6 of the drawings held within a support member that takes the general form of a shallow elongate open-faced box. The support member is made up of a generally flat rectangular base element 10 that has a front face 12 a back face 14, with a pair of strengthening spaced side walls 16 and 1S upstanding along the sides thereof to provide a U-shaped or channel cross section. The side walls 16 and 18 are of suliicient height at their ends to accommodate ia writing instrument therebetween, but are of reduced cutaway height at their intermediate portions 20 and 22 to expose an intermediate portion to a writing instrument when the latter is positioned in the support member, as will be hereinafter explained.

A pair of end members including a forward end member 24 adapted to accommodate the forward end of the barrel B of a writing instrument, and a rearward end member 26 adapted to accommodate the push button end of a writing instrument upstand from opposite ends of the base element 10. The forward end member is provided with a cavity 27 that is formed by spaced longitudinal walls 28 and 29, a forward end wall 30 and a iloor 31. The walls 28 and 29 terminate at their rearward ends in shoulders 32 and 33, respectively, that upstand generally perpendicularly to the longitudinally-extending base element 10, and that are spaced to engage the conically tapering forward portion of the barrel B of a writing instrument rearwardly of the forward end thereof. The forward end wall 30 is spaced forwardly of the .shoulders 32 and 33 sufficiently to clear .the writing tip T of the writing instrument when the tapering forward portion of the barrel B thereof is accommodated on the shoulders 32 and 33, and even with the writing tip 'I" in projected position (see FIGURE l).

The rearward end member 26 is provided with a cavity 35 that is adapted to accommodate the push button P of a writing instrument, the cavity 35 being formed by longitudinal walls 36 and 37 that are spaced to receive the pushv button P therebetween, a rearward wall 38, and a bottom member 39 upstanding from the base element 10. The bottom member 39 provides a positioning shoulder 40 for the push button P of a writing instrument that is mounted in the support member, the shoulder 40 being spaced further from the base element 10 than the floor 31 of the forward end member 24 such that the longitudinal axis of a writing instrument that is mounted in the support member will be disposed at a small angle 0,` such as from 2 to 5 degrees, to the longitudinal extent of the base element.

The rearward wall 3S of the push button receiving cavity 354 is spaced from the forward end member 24 as to apply a slight depressing force on the push button of a' writing instrument when the forward portion of the barrel B is accommodated inthe forward end member 24. Additionally, the rearward wall 38 is inclined to the rear and toward the base element 10. such that the rearward wall 38 forms an angle 4: with a perpendicular from the base element, which angle is equal to or slightly greater than the angle 6, and therebyl wedgingly holds the push button P against accidental removal from the push button receiving cavity. Immediately adjacent the inclined rearward wall 38, the base element lit) is provided with a recess 44 that opens through the back face i4 of the base element.

Preferably, the recess 44 is of substantial dimensions longitudinally and transversely, to eliminate any thick Wall sections in the rearward portion of the support memben, while the rearward wall 38 of the push button receiving cavity 35 may take the form of a narrow rib depending forwardly from the rearward face 41 of the end member 26.

The support member of the present invention is welladaptedl to be made of low-cost materials such as a synthetic plastic material, and particularly to be manufactured by molding. To this end the longitudinal walls 28 and 29 and the forward end wall 30 of the forward end member 24 that upstand generally perpendicularly from the base element 10, aswell as the front face 12 of the base element and the external surface 41 of the rearward end member 26 are adapted to be shaped by core elements or mold portions on one side of a mold, while the inclined rearward wall 38of the push button receiving cavity 35, as well as the back face 14 of the base element andv the external surface 42 of the forward end member 24 are adapted to be formed by core elements or mold portions on` a second side of the mold.4 It will be seen that the formation of the inclined rearward wall 38 of the rearward end member 26 can be eitected by a core element or mold portion that can be inserted and withdrawn through the recess t4l through the back face 14' of the base element 10, and that a simple split mold of simple. form may be used to manufacture the support' member.

Means are provided for the ready aiixation of the support member to a wall, telephone. base, automobile glove compartment door or other mounting surface, and preferably take the form of resilient pads 46 and 4-7L axed to the back face of the base element 10, which pads are provided with pressure-sensitive adhesive surfaces that may be easily applied to the mounting surface.

The support member may be aiixed to a mounting surface in any position, i.e. vertically, horizontally, face-up or face-down. A longitudinally-compressible writing instrument may be positioned in the support member simply by locating the tapering forward end of the barrel between the shoulders 32 and 33 of the forward end member, with the writing tip T in projected or retracted position, by vslightly depressing the push button P of the writing instrument, andL by thereupon seating the push button P in the push button receiving cavity 35. The rearwardly-acting spring within the writing instrument will urge the push button to the rear to lock the writing instrument in place in the support member. The inclination of the longitudinal axis of the writing instrument at the angle 0 relative to the longitudinal extent of the base element lil, -disposes the forward end of the barrel B at a slight angle from a perpendicular to the shoulders 32 and 33 of the forward end member 24 and thereby urges the forward portion of the barrel B slidingly along those shoulders and toward the base element to cause the barrel B to seat against the floor 3X. At the same time, the inclination (angle of the rearward wally 38 y0f the push button receiving cavity 35 to the rear and to the base element urges the push button end of the writing instrument toward he base element 10 to cause the push button P to seat against the positioning shoulder 4@ in the rearward end member 26.

Removal of a longitudinally-compressible writing instrument or the like from the support member is easily effected by grasping the pocket clip C between the fingers andv pulling the writing instrument out ofthe holder, or for example, when the writing instrument is of the type that does not include a pocket clip, by grasping and pulling on the barrel B of the writing instrument through the intermediate cut-away portions 20 and 22 of the side walls 16 and 18.

Whereas only a preferred embodiment of my invention has been shown and described herein, it will be understood that various modifications and changes may be made in the structure shown without departing from the spirit of my invention as pointed out in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A rigid unitary support member for a writing instrument that includes an elongate barrel, a writing tip at a forward end of the barrel, an axially depressible member at a rearward end of the barrel, and resilent means urging the depressible member rearwardly, said support member comprising:

a base element; and

a pair of spaced forward and rearward end members upstanding from a Jfront side of the base element for releasably receiving the respective tip and depressible member ends of the writing instrument, the forward end member having a cavity formed by sidewalls that engage the forward end of the barrel,

the rearward end member having a rearward wall that depressingly engages the depressible member when the forward end of the barrel of the writing instrument is accommodated in the cavity of the forward end member.

2. A rigidy unitary support member for a retractable writing instrument that includes an elongate barrel, a writing unit that has a writing tip and that is movable in the barrel between a position where the writing tip projects from a forward end of the barrel and a position where the writing tip is retracted within the barrel, a means at the rearward end of the barrel that is axially depressible in driving relationship with the writing unit, and a resilient means urging the writing unit rearwardly, said support member comprising:

a base element; and

a pair of spaced forward andk rearward end members upstanding from a front side of the base element for releasably receiving the respective tip and depressible means ends of the writing instrument,

the forward end member having a cavity formed by side walls that engage the forward end of theA barrel, said cavity accommodating the writing tip of the writing instrument without axially contacting said tip,

the rearward end member having a rearward wall that depressingly engages the depressible means, whereby the resilient means urges the` forward andV rearward ends of the writing instrument axially into respective engagement with the forward and rearward end members of the support member.

3. The invention of claim l, wherein the rearward wall toward the base element, and the base element has ya recess therethrough that opens toward the rearward wall ofthe rearward end member.

4. The invention of claim 1, wherein the cavity in the forward end member opens rearwardly and toward the front side of the base element, the rearward end member includes a rearward wall that inclines rearwardly toward the base element, and the forward `and rearward end members include bottom shoulder elements of which the rearward one is spaced a greater distance from the base element than the forward one, whereby said forward and rearward end members accommodate the respective tip and depressible member ends of a writing instrument with the longitudinal axis of the writing instrument inclined at an acute angle with the base element.

References Cited bythe Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,107,644 8/'14 Beidler 24-11 2,228,493 1/4l Will 1Z0-23 2,428,854 lO/ 47 Randolph 1Z0-42.03 2,528,328 lO/SO Baker et al. 120-17 EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner.

LAWRENCE CHARLES, JEROME SCHNALL,

Examlners. 

1. A RIGID UNITARY SUPPORT MEMBER FOR A WRITING INSTRUMENT THAT INCLUDES AN ELONGATE BARREL, A WRITING TIP AT A FORWARD END OF THE BARREL, AN AXIALLY DEPRESSIBLE MEMBER AT A REARWARD END OF THE BARREL, AND RESILIENT MEANS URGING THE DEPRESSIBLE MEMBER NEARWARDLY, SAID SUPPORT MEMBER COMPRISING: A BASE ELEMENT; AND A PAIR OF SPACED FORWARD AND REARWARD END MEMBERS UPSTANDING FROM A FRONT SIDE OF THE BASE ELEMENT FOR RELEASABLY RECEIVING THE RESPECTIVE TIP AND DEPRESSIBLE MEMBER ENDS OF THE WRITING INSTRUMENT, THE FORWARD END MEMBER HAVING A CAVITY FORMED BY SIDE WALLS THAT ENGAGE THE FORWARD END OF THE BARREL, THE REARWARD END MEMBER HAVING A REARWARD WALL THAT DEPRESSINGLY ENGAGES THE DEPRESSIBLE MEMBER WHEN THE FORWARD END OF THE BARREL OF THE WRITING INSTRTUMENT IS ACCOMMODATED IN THE CAVITY OF THE FORWARD END MEMBER. 